


One Day At A Time

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Charming-Lucas Family, Curse Breaking, Daddy Charming, Little Emma Swan, Multi, Parent Ruby Lucas, Polyamory, Red Snowing - Freeform, Season 2 AU, Threesome - F/F/M, charming family - Freeform, mama Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2018-12-06 17:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11605197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: With a different villain casting the curse, when it breaks, it makes all the difference. Snow, David and Ruby are figuring out how to best raise their little girl, one day at a time.





	1. Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is my first shot at writing a Red Snowing story. Set as though they were an established relationship in the Enchanted Forest. It’s going to be mostly a story about their family, though. I’m setting this as though the curse was set by a different villain. It’s going to work like a one shot series, taking place at different times and I will take requests. It is an Emma deaging fic too. You can thank loboselina for this fic because she introduced me to this OT3 and I love it.

There was an overwhelming feeling going over Snow as she reunited with David. As they broke apart from the kiss, they could hear a voice come from behind them.

 

“Snow? David?” They turned around and found Ruby standing there. They let out a deep breath, pulling her into a tight hug. They had been separated for far too long. Snow’s lips connected with Ruby’s, before David did the same. “Is it really broken?”

“I think so,” David gripped both of their hands. “What do we do now?”

“Now, now we find our daughter.”

 

The three smiled at each other. This whole time, their daughter had been so close to them, right under their noses. She was so grown up, they had so much time to make up for. They started to head for the hospital, knowing she had been there with Henry. Suddenly, someone came across her path. Regina was looking quite frazzled, her hair a mess. Snow hadn’t seen her since Henry was admitted to the hospital. The curse must have broken for her because she was going crazy looking for Zelena, though no one understood why.

 

“We haven’t seen Zelena, not in a while,” Snow told her.

“That’s not it. Something…something’s happened,” she replied, looking from one of them to another.  “With Emma.”

David’s eyes widened. “What? Did Zelena get to her?””

“No…just…come with me.”

 

She lead them to the mayor’s office where she had managed to take Henry and Emma quickly after the curse was broken. Snow, David and Ruby stopped in their tracks as they came across the chair in front of Regina’s desk. A little girl sat there with long blonde curls and big green eyes. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt along with some overalls. Even though to them she didn’t look older than 3, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out just who that was.

 

“Emma,” Snow breathed. “How?”

“I don’t know. She kissed Henry’s forehead in her adult form, but as soon as the rainbow ripple went over the room, she was like this. The only thing I can think of is now that the curse has been broken, things are being restored to how they should be.”

“Shouldn’t she be a baby then?”

“She says she’s 3, if that helps any.”

Ruby thought about it for a minute. “She once told me that she had a family for a little bit, before she entered the foster system. She was 3 when that happened.”

“It could be fate’s way of giving her a second chance at a happy start.”

David gnawed on his lip. “Does she remember anything? From before?”

Regina shook her head. “All she told me was that her foster mommy and daddy gave her away. I think the past 25 years have been completely erased.”

“And Henry…”

“He’s still at the hospital, they just wanted to make sure that he’s okay after he was poisoned.” She checked her watch. “I hate to leave you three alone, but…”

Snow held up a hand. “It’s okay, go be with Henry. Everything’s going to be okay here.”

 

Regina nodded and walked out of the office. Ruby, Snow and David exchanged a look. They weren’t quite sure how to handle this. The original plan was for the three of them to raise Emma together. A part of them were overjoyed to have this second chance, but they also were aware of the price it came at. Emma would never know of the other life she lead. While it was full of pain, there had been good. They would just have to figure it out one moment at a time.

 

Slowly, the three walked over to her. Emma looked up at them, curling back a bit.

 

“Emma, sweetheart,” Snow whispered softly. “My name is Snow. This is Ruby and David. We’re…we’re your parents.”

“New mommies and daddy?” Emma asked, her voice coming out softly.

“No, sweetheart. We were always meant to be your mommies and daddy.”

A frown went across the toddler’s face. “Gave me away.”

“Oh no, princess.” David knelt in front of her. “We didn’t want to, but we had to. We wanted to look for you, but we couldn’t.”

“We love you so much,” Ruby told her. “So, so much. We want you to come home with us.”

 

Emma still looked hesitant. She had just spent 3 years with a family that swore to love her. Then when they had a new baby, she was sent away. Yet, she wanted to trust these people. Last time, she only had one mommy and one daddy. Here she would have a daddy and _two_ mommies.

 

“Two mommies?” She asked.

Ruby smiled. “Yeah, you’ll have two mommies. Is that okay?”

 

Emma looked at each of them again and then hesitantly held her arms up to David. He smiled and pulled her up into them, holding her close. Snow and Ruby each kissed the top of her head. There was a lot to figure out, but all that mattered now was that they had their baby girl back.

 

The next few days were spent trying to get everything settled. They ordered a larger bed for the three of them (no way all could fit onto the small bed “Mary Margaret” had been cursed with). They got a smaller toddler bed for Emma along with new clothes and toys. She was warming up to them little by little. They weren’t “Mommy”, “Mama” and “Daddy” yet, but they’d get there.

 

One day at a time.


	2. Gift Of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has some Mama Ruby feels, which I know a lot of people wanted to see. Takes place about a week after the curse broke.

It was almost easy for Emma to accept that her new parents were Snow, Prince Charming and Little Red Riding Hood. What little girl wouldn’t want all that to be true? What was harder was explaining that Emma had two mommies _and_ a daddy. Apparently, it wasn’t the two mommies part, but the more than two parents thing. Emma had been taught that sometimes people had two mommies or two daddies, sometimes just a mommy or a daddy. No one had ever explained the possibility of having three parents. To be fair, it was a unique situation.

 

Even so, it made Ruby feel a little more out of place. Had they just raised Emma from the start, she would’ve known all of this and it’d be second nature. Once she heard that Snow carried her in her tummy, that seemed to be it. Ruby felt more like an aunt or something, no matter how much her spouses assured her it wasn’t true. It was just going to take more time for Emma to warm up to her.

 

It made parenting a little trickier. Emma went to Snow and David when she wanted something. Even though she was still getting to know all of them, Mommy and Daddy came easier to her with them. Ruby was still on a first name basis and not yet “mama”. She knew she just had to be patient and not get so jealous, it was just hard.

 

One night, Ruby woke up when she heard some rustling at the top of the stairs. David and Snow were still fast asleep, curled up into either side of her. Carefully, she got out of bed and headed up the stairs that lead to Emma’s bedroom. Even in human form, she had her wolf abilities, which included super good hearing, sight and smell. (David’s Little Red Riding Hood jokes aside.)  She knew the problem before Emma could even bring it up.

 

She found the little girl trying to pull her sheets off the toddler bed they had set up for her. She was clearly getting more frustrated when they didn’t budge. Carefully, Ruby walked over, gently taking her hand. Emma looked up, afraid.

 

“I…I…” Emma started to sputter.

Ruby shook her head. “It’s okay,” she said. “Accidents happen.”

“I’m a big girl,” Emma said, so softly that Ruby almost missed it.

“You’re still little, accidents happen. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this.” She could tell that Emma was still scared. “Do you want to come with me? I can teach you some cool laundry tricks?”

 

The toddler hesitated but then nodded. Ruby picked her up and grabbed the sheets and blankets off the bed. Unfortanately, Emma’s baby blanket had also been soiled and would have to go in the wash. Ruby carried her downstairs to the loft’s basement where the washer and dryer was. She threw the linens in and poured out the liquid into the measuring cup, allowing Emma to pour it out.

 

They headed back upstairs, both clearly still awake. Ruby took the opportunity to change Emma into some dry pajamas, she didn’t even notice at first they were ones with wolves on them.

 

“You,” Emma said, quietly. Ruby looked down and saw the cartoon wolves on them.

She smiled a little. “Yeah, me.”

“You’re a wolf now?”

“No, I only turn if I need to or on a full moon.”

Emma seemed a little disappointed at that. “Am I wolf too?”

Ruby chuckled. “Afraid not, pup.”

“But you’re my mama?”

Ruby felt her heart skip a beat. “I am. But…it’s a little more complicated. You grew in mommy’s tummy. So, you look like her and daddy.”

“Oh.”

“But, that doesn’t mean I love you any less. You wanna know a secret? Something that makes you extra special?” Emma nodded. “You didn’t grow in my tummy, you grew in my heart. The moment I saw you, I knew I loved you, just as if you were in my tummy. Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”

 

Ruby lead Emma back down the stairs and carefully turned on the lamp in the living room, keeping Emma on her lap. She pulled out a bag she had been hiding, waiting to show Emma at the right moment. She pulled out a framed picture which had Ruby and Emma the day after the curse broke. There was some text next to it. Emma tried to read it, but then looked back at her mama.

 

“I can’t read,” she informed her.

Ruby giggled. “I know, I’m sorry. It says _I didn't give you the gift of life, but in my heart, I know.  
The love I feel is deep and real, as if it had been so. For us to have each other, is like a dream come true! No, I didn't give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you._ ”

 

The poem always brought tears to Ruby’s eyes. She had discovered all the way back in the Enchanted Forest when Snow was pregnant and it covered her feelings on the daughter that was on the way. She was happy to find that it was a poem in this world too.

 

“Gift? Like present?” Emma asked.

“Yes. You were the best present I ever got.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a plushie wolf. Emma hadn’t yet seen her in wolf form, but it perfectly matched how she looked when she was like that. “I got you this. I had to wash your blankie, so maybe you could cuddle this instead.”

 

Emma’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t ever really had many toys. Snow had gotten her a lot when she moved in with them, but this one seemed even more special. She cuddled it closer.

 

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome.” Ruby kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

 

Emma was quiet for a moment, it was a content silence that Ruby felt as the two of them cuddled until Ruby heard the little girl’s tiny voice.

 

“I love you too, Mama.”

 

Tears spilled down Ruby’s face, she couldn’t hold it back anymore. She slowly began to rock Emma in her arms, nuzzling her face against hers. A little while later, she could hear the sounds of Emma’s soft snoring (something she definitely inherited from David).

 

“You finally got the mama, huh?” Ruby looked up to find Snow standing there.

She softly smiled. “Yeah, I did. How long were you listening?”

“Since you got out of bed, you’re not the only one who easily wakes up.”

“She wet the bed, I had to wash her sheets. I was just going to stay here with her.”

“Nah, bring her to the bed. She cuddle up with all three of her parents.”

 

Ruby got up, walking over to the bed to resume her spot, her daughter still curled up in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one is more lighthearted, I promise. And it’s an early Halloween fic! Anyway, if you have any prompts for this little family, let me know.


	3. This Is Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you guys ready for some early Halloween fluff? I know I have a few prompts for this story and I hope to get them done, I’ve just been so busy with July Jamboree for “The Charmings”. Feel free to keep the prompts coming in and I hope to get them done soon. By the way, in this universe, Emma’s birthday is in September.
> 
> Also, you can thank loboselina for Emma’s Halloween costume because I had no idea what to make it and she is just awesome. (If you like Red Snowing, check out her “Three’s Not A Crowd”.)

Snow was doing her best to make sure that her toddler didn’t make a mess while Ruby and David were busy bickering. She scooped up her daughter, blowing a raspberry into her cheek, which made her giggle. She looked over at Sally who was manning the register and she gave her a smile, as if to say she understood. After all, her husband was practically the Halloween king. He went overboard with it.

 

The costume shop had popped up seemingly out of nowhere. When characters from the Land of Untold stories began to appear, no one knew what to expect. Jack and Sally Skellington were among the bunch and they decided to open up the shop, to celebrate their favorite holiday. It came just in time, too. Snow had been planning on making Emma’s costume, but this seemed to be a better deal. Of course, now it was time to decide what she would be.

 

It was their first Halloween with her, actually, their first holiday with her at all. She was newly 3 from what they figured out from her records. They were excited to spend it with her, Emma was just excited for the candy. However, it had lead to a bit of a disagreement between Ruby and David, who were each clutching their costume of choice.

 

“She’s going to be a knight,” David informed his wife, proudly.  “She wants to be just like her daddy.”

“Um, no. She wants to be a wolf, like her mama,” Ruby retorted as she held up the costume.

“That costume isn’t as cool as this one.”

“Oh please, at least this one is comfortable.”

 

Snow rolled her eyes at the playful banter, looking around the shop. She had known better than to suggest princess. Even as a toddler, Emma hated wearing dresses or anything girly. They had learned that the hard way when Snow tried to put her in a pink dress. It lasted all of three minutes before she tore it off and ran around in her pull up for the rest of the day. She honestly didn’t care what her daughter wanted to be. She understood David and Ruby’s sides, each wanting her to be like them. At the same time, neither were asking Emma what she wanted.

 

“Em, do you want to be a wolf for Halloween?” Snow asked her daughter.

Emma shook her head. “Nuh uh, Mommy.”

“What about a knight?”

She considered it for a moment. “Nah.”

“Well, how about you show me?”

 

Emma nodded and they walked around the shop together while Ruby and David debated which costume would get more candy. Eventually, Emma started tugging on her mother’s top.

 

“Mommy, Mommy, that one!”

 

She pointed to the costume on display and Snow grinned. It was a Wonder Woman one. Emma had been obsessed with the movie before the curse even broke and now that she was a toddler, she still loved it. She insisted on watching it a lot and had a bunch of toys from the movie as well, along with some books that Belle had found in the library. Snow knew it would be a costume she’d wear all the time.

 

“I think that’s a great idea, baby,” Snow told her. She looked through the rack and found Emma’s size, before walking back to her still squabbling spouses. “We found a costume.”

Ruby looked up with a triumphant grin. “It’s a wolf, isn’t it?”

Emma shook her head. “Nuh uh.”

David did a fist pump. “Knight, then?”

“No, Daddy. Superhero.”

 

David and Ruby noticed the costume that Snow was holding in her other hand. They hadn’t even considered that one. Emma was beaming proudly, clearly excited to have picked out her own costume. They both looked down at the ones in their hands, but didn’t put them back. Instead, Ruby just took the Wonder Woman costume.

 

“You can wear this one on Halloween, these can go in your dress up corner,” Ruby said.

Emma smiled, the one she had inherited from her father. “Okay, Mama.”

 

The next few days went by quickly. Despite the curse only recently breaking, everyone was excited for the holiday and was decorating just how they would’ve done back then. Decorations were spread out everywhere and Snow was busy baking treats for the party that was at Thomas and Ella’s.

 

“Cookie, please,” Emma requested of her mother.

Snow shook her head. “Sorry, Emma. These are for the party.”

 

A small pout fell across her lips as she retreated from the kitchen. David saw her face and looked over at Ruby, who nodded with a grin. They both walked into the kitchen, Ruby swooping Snow into her arms for a kiss while David swiped a cookie from the plate. When they pulled apart, Snow studied her curiously.

 

“What was that for?” She asked.

“Do I need a reason to kiss my beautiful wife?”

Snow looked over at the plate, noticing the missing cookie. “You two are such pushovers.”

Ruby shrugged. “She’s just so adorable.”

 

Meanwhile, David was handing Emma her cookie. She beamed happily and squeezed his legs before quickly chowing it down. He gently rubbed her back.

  
“Slow down, Princess. It’s okay, no one’s taking it from you.”

 

Emma frowned a bit. That had been a challenge ever since she aged down. Snow and Ruby had noticed under the curse that Emma seemed to wolf everything down in a matter of moments so it wouldn’t be taken from her. Clearly that stayed with her, even as a toddler. She wasn’t used to knowing when her next meal was coming. The thought alone broke their hearts. David could tell his comment had bothered her, so he decided to change the subject.

 

“How about you get changed into your costume? We’re going trick-or-treating before we head to Auntie Ella and Uncle Thomas’ party.”

 

A smile quickly replaced the smile and David lead her up to her room to help get her dressed in the costume. It ended up being a bit more complicated than he thought it would. Emma kept wiggling around, so he couldn’t get the cape on straight. Eventually, Ruby came upstairs, giggling a bit at David’s struggle. She took over, managing to get it on quickly.

 

“How did you do that?” He asked in disbelief.

“Girl power, right pup?”

Emma nodded. “Girls rule!” She pumped her fist in the air.

 

Soon, they were headed out trick-or-treating. The adults had decided to also dress up as super heroes: David was Captain America, Snow was Black Widow and Ruby had selected Cat Woman (ignoring David’s jokes about how she should’ve found a dog superhero). They went to everyone in the building first. Everyone gave Emma handfuls of candy and she made sure to say thank you each one.

 

 They headed down the street afterwards, hitting up the businesses that were also giving out treats. While Rumple was passing out candy, Belle was also handing out mini-books as well. Emma beamed at that, she loved being able to read (she never went to bed without at least two stories). She tried to get Snow to read her it right then and there, but her mom pointed out that there was more candy to collect, so she happily headed down the block.

 

Granny’s was filled with customers, most who weren’t in costume. However, all of the waitresses were dressed up. They saw Emma and rushed over to admire her costume. Granny came out of the back and grinned upon seeing her great-granddaughter.

 

“Well don’t you look adorable?” She asked.

“Granny,” Emma whined. “Not adorable. Badass.”

Snow’s eyes widened. “Where’d you hear that word?”

“Daddy.”

 

David ducked his head, clearly not wanting to face the wraths of his wives.  Granny just chuckled, shaking her head.

 

“Whatever you say, sweetheart. Here, I have a special treat for you.” She reached behind the counter and pulled out a candy apple, covered in sprinkles.

Emma’s eyes lit up. Much to Snow’s chagrin, that was one of the few fruits that she loved. She accepted it. “Thank you, Granny!”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” She handed one to David and Ruby as well, before grabbing a candy-coated pear for Snow. “I figured you’d appreciate this one more.”

Snow smiled gratefully and accepted it. “Thank you,” she said.

 

They hit up a few more places, but Emma’s bag was overflowing with candy. They headed back to the loft to drop it off and grab the goodies they were responsible to bring to Ella and Thomas’. Their house was definitely winning for best decorated. They had a giant inflatable pumpkin out front and spooky lights sprawled out across them. The couple greeted their friends. Thomas was dressed as a vampire, while Ella had decided on Marilyn Monroe. Alexandra was in her arms, wearing a caterpillar costume.

 

“Mama!” Emma tugged on Ruby’s pant leg. “Just like the book!” She pointed at the baby.

Ruby chuckled. “That’s right.” One of Emma’s favorite stories was The Hungry Caterpillar.

“You four look ready to fight crime,” Ella commented.

“Though, I thought Ruby would dress up like Dog Woman,” Thomas teased.

Ruby rolled her eyes while Ella smacked him upside the head. David just chuckled. “I said the same thing.”

“He’s about to make it up to me with a dance,” Ruby decided, grabbing hold of her husband’s hand along with Snow’s.

 

The party was filled with dancing, fun and treats. Emma talked a mile a minute with anyone who would listen and danced with her parents. Everyone kept feeding her tons of sweets and she ended up on a sugar high halfway through the night, spinning it all off. By the end of it, she was falling asleep in David’s arms, her head on his shoulder. She didn’t even wake when he settled her into her car seat to head back to the loft or when Ruby carried her upstairs. They attempted to change her into her pajamas, but she seemed to cling to bits of her costume, so all they could manage to get off was the lasso.

 

“Well, I suppose one night of it won’t hurt,” Snow whispered as they all tucked her in. They each kissed the top of her head before trying to figure out how to hide the Halloween candy so she didn’t eat it all at once (with each of the adults stealing a few pieces of their favorites).

 

As it would turn out, Emma refused to take off her Wonder Woman costume for 4 days. She had to be tricked in the end to get it off to be washed, with David allowing her to put on his Captain America costume for fun. For a long time, Wonder Woman was her outfit of choice.


	4. Emma Has Two Mommies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know a lot of people have been asking for Henry and Emma interactions. Next chapter, I promise. This one I just had to get out of my system because this is based off one of my favorite Grey’s Anatomy scenes. I love Arizona Robins and the whole arc of her becoming Sofia’s mom was great. Sorry, rambling. Also, I know a lot of people want Baby Neal to make an appearance and for Ruby to have a baby as well. That’s all coming. In the meantime, please keep the prompts coming in!

When the people from the Land of Untold Stories arrived just mere months after the curse broke, Storybrooke all rallied together to help them feel more at home. Ella had started a Mommy and Me class for all the moms to get to know each other and bond. Due to their varying schedules, Snow and Ruby took turns taking Emma to the class, while occasionally sometimes David would even take her. For the residents that had known them from the Enchanted Forest, it didn’t seem strange, they were all used to that dynamic.

 

However, some moms didn’t go to every group. One example being Ariel. Her daughter Melody was close in age with Emma and they would always play together. She worked down at the docks, so her husband, Eric would occasionally bring the toddler. He became good friends with David and arranged a playdate for not just the girls, but their spouses as well. The day of, he and Ariel were fixing up the house to make sure that it was family ready.

 

“Which child is this from the group?” Ariel asked.

“Emma, I met David when I took Mel the other day,” Eric explained.

“Oh, right. I think I met his wife, Ruby.”

“No, his wife is Snow.”

“No, it’s Ruby.”

 

Ariel gave her husband a face like he didn’t know what he was talking about. Before he could argue, the doorbell rang and she headed over, opening the door. On the other side stood not just Ruby, who Ariel had met a few times at the playgroup, but Snow and David as well, with Emma standing in front of them. Melody grinned from her playdough table and waved.

 

“Emma!” She shouted.

“Melody!”

 

Emma scrambled past Ariel and into the house. Ruby grinned and gave Ariel a big hug.

 

“Hey Ariel, I think you’ve met my husband, David, this is my wife, Snow.”

Ariel nodded and smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you, Snow.”

“You as well,” Snow shook her hand. “Thank you for having us over.”

“It’s no trouble.”

 

While the girls played, Ruby and David got a tour of the house from Eric and Ariel and Snow fixed some tea.

 

“I feel so silly, Eric and I got into a bit of disagreement over who Emma’s mommy is,” Ariel said with a slight chuckle. “I didn’t realize she had two.”

“Common mistake,” Snow replied as she put on the kettle.

“So…all three of you are married?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound rude. I’m just…”

“Curious, it’s okay. Trust me, by now I know the difference between that and being judgmental.” Snow gave her a smile. “The three of us fell in love. I met Ruby first and we had a connection, then I met David and felt the same. When all three of us were together for the first time, we just knew.”

“Wow. I mean, I think Eric is a handful at times, don’t know how I’d handle two spouses.”

Snow laughed. “It can be rough, but we share true love.” She shrugged. “Even if they can be pains, they’re my pains.”

“I feel you on that one.” Ariel paused again. “And Emma is…”

“She’s all of our child,” Snow explained. “In our hearts, which is what matters. But I carried her in my stomach, so she has me and David’s DNA. Though, I can see parts of Ruby in her.”

 

Eric had been showing Ruby and David the game room, which happened to be right next to the kitchen. David couldn’t help but notice that his wife got a look about her over Ariel and Snow’s conversation. However, she seemed to brush it off rather quickly.

* * *

A few days later, the family was having lunch at Granny’s. It was fairly quiet for the lunch rush, so they were mostly just relaxing. Emma sat in her high chair, babbling on about different things while Snow tried to cajole her into eating her broccoli instead of just her grilled cheese (not that it was working). Ruby smiled and went to sneak Emma some of her French fries, when she felt someone staring at her. She turned around to find Blue sitting nearby.

 

The fairy had made her distaste in their relationship rather well known. However, it only made matters worse that she seemed to dislike Ruby in particular. She was a wolf, she could change quickly, she still didn’t trust that. She also didn’t appreciate Ruby grilling her for lying about the wardrobe. By then, she knew better and wanted to ignore her as much as possible.

 

Near the end of the meal, Ruby headed into the back to use the restroom. As she was washing her hands, she heard the door open and Blue sauntered in. Ruby was going to stay quiet, until the fairy began talking.

 

“Quite an adorable family out there.”

“It is,” Ruby agreed, with a bit of a bite to her, not wanting to let her guard down.

“Emma seems to have taken a shine to you, even if she’s not your daughter.”

Ruby whipped around to face her. “She _is_ my daughter.”

“Yes, yes, in your heart, I’ve heard it all before from Snow. However, if something were to happen to your beloveds, you’d have no right to her. George or even Regina would have more of a claim than you. You’re just playing house at this point, Ruby. I’d keep that in mind.”

 

Normally, Ruby would’ve fought back and not backed down to the bitchy fairy. However, Snow’s conversation with Ariel replayed in her mind. DNA had never mattered before and it never would. Blue was still right. She had no legal claim to Emma, no paperwork. They had just gone through the process of changing all their names, so they were the true Charming family. Even so, in this world, three people could not legally be wed, birth certificates could only have two names.

 

She had to look into it, somehow there had to be a way.

 

Ruby woke up in the middle of the night, hearing some whining coming from upstairs. She got out of bed and headed up them, unlatching the gate they had put up to keep Emma from getting hurt. She found her sitting up in bed, looking quite upset.

 

“What’s wrong, pup?” She asked, sitting down and pulling her onto her lap.

“Bad dream,” Emma whimpered.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Ruby cradled her close. “But you wanna know something? Dreams aren’t real, they’re just our mind playing tricks on us. Wanna know what’s real?”

Emma sniffled, rubbing at her eyes. “What?”

“Me, Mommy and Daddy. We’re here and we love you so very much. We would never let a bad thing happen to you, ever.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” Ruby kissed the top of her head. “I love you, little one.”

“I love you too, Mama. More than all the stars and the moons.”

 

Ruby felt her heart skip a beat as she continued to rock Emma in her arms. She wrapped her baby blanket around her, it was almost scary how well it fit. Emma had been born premature and had been on the smaller side, even before she had aged back. Even now, she was tiny for her age. They had to mix a special formula into her drinks to help her growth. Whale said she may always have problems developmentally, but Emma was a fighter, even so young. She didn’t let her size prevent her from being unstoppable.

 

Once Emma had fallen back to sleep, Ruby tucked her back in under the covers, keeping her bundled up in her baby blanket. She tucked the stuffed wolf under her arm and kissed her forehead before heading back down the stairs. She didn’t go back to the big bed that she shared with her spouses, though. Instead, she found herself sitting at the island, staring at a glass of water and letting Blue’s words haunt her.

 

From the moment Snow had found out she was pregnant, Ruby had always worried about the day that would come when she couldn’t be Emma’s mother. It didn’t even have anything to do with the curse. She was worried that someone wouldn’t take her role into consideration. Whether it be Emma or the kingdom, anyone. She had always been an outcast, she had never fit in, until she met her spouses. Snow and David had made her feel whole once again. She had been the one to decide Emma’s name, because that is how they felt when they discovered the pregnancy. They were whole.

 

She knew that she wasn’t going to lose her family, realistically. However, there was a nagging family that wouldn’t leave her until it got resolved.

 

So, the next morning, she headed to the pawn shop, hoping to get some answers from the former Dark One himself.

 

“Well, this is quite the surprise he said. Miss Lucas…”

“It’s actually Mrs. Charming now, but I’d prefer it if you’d just call me Ruby,” she interrupted.

Rumple nodded. “Very well, Ruby. How may I assist you today?”

“You were an attorney under the curse, right?”

“I was.”

“And now that it’s broken, we’ve all sort of kept our cursed professions in one way or another.”

“You could say that.”

“So…you’re still an attorney.”

“Now that memories have returned, I don’t know that many would be willing to trust my services, but yes.”

Ruby let out a deep breath. “Would it be possible for me to adopt Emma?”

Rumple raised an eyebrow. “Pardon? Are Snow White and Charming ill?”

“No, they’re fine. I just…I want it in writing that Emma is mine. Is it possible?”

He gave her a small grin. “It can be, yes. It’s a bit tricky, but I can pull some strings.”

“What’s your price?”

 

Rumple took in the woman, looking her up and down. He knew that this woman would give anything for what she wanted, the entire world, just for her daughter. And as a father himself, there was no way that he could ever charge her for this service.

 

“It’s on the house,” he replied.

“What? I don’t even owe you a favor?”

“Just be a good mother, that’s all I ask.”

Ruby nodded. “Of course, thank you.”

“There is just one thing, you’re going to need Snow and David to sign off on this.”

* * *

Snow and David had no clue where Ruby had headed off to. She left the loft not long after breakfast, saying she had to run “errands”. When David offered to tag along, as they usually did the shopping together with Emma in tow, she said it’d be faster to do them alone. Snow pointed out that they had just gone grocery shopping that Monday, so they weren’t quite low on supplies yet. To try to keep themselves from worrying, they played with Emma in the den until the door opened. Ruby walked in, looking a bit anxious.

 

“Can I um, can I see you two in the kitchen, please?” She asked.

 

Snow and David exchanged a look, but nodded. They got Emma distracted with a few superhero action figures before heading into the kitchen together.

 

“I want a piece of paper that says that Emma is mine,” Ruby blurted out.

Snow and David felt confused for a moment, but then they both smiled. “Okay, let’s do it,” Snow said.

Ruby either didn’t hear her or felt like she had to finish the speech she had prepared. “Because she’s mine, she’s my baby. I mean she’s yours…” She gestured to Snow. “And yours.” She pointed over at David. “But she’s mine too. I mean, I’m the only one that can get her to go back to sleep in the middle of the night.”

“I know,” Snow whispered.

“And she calls me Mama,” Ruby added, her own voice breaking as the tears clouded her eyes. “She’s saying it to me, because I’m…I’m her mama.”

“We know you are,” David told her, placing his hand on top of hers.

“We’ll get you that piece of paper,” Snow added, softly. “Okay? I promise.”

 

Ruby nodded, letting out the deep breath that she had been holding all the way from Gold’s Pawnshop. David and Snow wrapped their arms around their wife, squeezing her tight. Snow rubbed her back soothingly while David cradled the back of her head. Ruby felt as though the weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She felt calmer than she had in a week.

 

It didn’t take long for Gold to get the papers in order. With some help from Regina’s magic, they were able to make it official on Emma’s birth certificate. She would forever have a spot with one dad and two more for her mothers.

 

Emma Ruth Charming was Ruby’s daughter, for then and for always.


	5. Henry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the long-awaited Henry chapter. Reminder that Zelena cast this curse. Regina still adopted Henry, but she was not evil. Before we get started, I need to address something. If you want to skip the drama, skip to the actual chapter.

There was a lot that Snow, Ruby and David enjoyed about having their second chance to raise Emma. That wasn’t to say that there wasn’t guilt there. Emma may not have lived the best life before the curse broke, but it was still a life. She had accomplished many things, including becoming sheriff of Storybrooke. No one had ever gone up against Zelena, ever.

 

Above all, Emma was a mother. She may have given Henry up for adoption, but he was still her son. Under the curse, with Regina’s blessing, the two had struck a bond. Zelena had tried to convince her sister that it wasn’t right, that Emma would end up kidnapping him or something. Regina wasn’t the bold woman that she was in the Enchanted Forest, she often doubled down to her sister, believing she was the only family that she had. Zelena had gone down her sister’s route of using an apple turnover to try to curse her great-step-niece, but it ended up being eaten by Henry instead.

 

After the curse broke and Emma was turned back into a toddler, Henry chose to take a step back from the Charmings. David, Snow and Ruby had promised him that he would always be a part of their family, but understood why he needed space. He and Emma had developed a close bond. They had finally said “I love you” to each other. And now there she was, a toddler with no memory of the connection they once shared. They promised they’d still be there, whenever he was ready. Regina had been around Emma and she had gotten to know her as an aunt of sorts. She always got excited to see “Gina”. It was normally when Henry was at school or out with friends.

 

They all felt immense guilt, even though it wasn’t their fault. There were times that they missed the person Emma had once been. They imagined what it would to Emma if one of them suddenly aged back to younger than her. At the end of the day, though, there was nothing they could do. Everyone from Archie to Regina told them to just enjoy their second chance and for the most part, they did.

 

One day, Snow received a text from Regina saying that Henry was ready to officially meet Emma as how she was. It had been a few months since the curse broke and he had apparently just mentioned it out of the blue. They would be over as soon as Emma got up from her nap. All they could do was hope for the best. They had all missed Henry, he would always be their grandson. Even under the curse, they had all formed a strong bond with him. Snow and Ruby had known him since he was a baby, he had been one of the few people to be nice to David during the whole Kathryn fiasco. They were all a family and always would be.

 

Eventually, there was a knock at the door. David answered it, finding Regina and Henry on the other side. He gave him a gentle smile.

  
“Hey pal,” he said. “I’ve missed you.”

Henry returned the smile. “I’ve missed you too.”

“Snow made cookies, oatmeal raisin.”

 

Henry nodded and followed him inside, Regina keeping a hand on his back. They entered the living room where Emma was playing action figures with Ruby. She looked up when she felt their presence and glanced over at Henry. She studied him for a minute, almost like she recognized him. Then, she blinked and tilted her head, moving closer to Ruby. She didn’t do too well around new people given her first childhood.

  
“Emma, it’s okay, this is Henry. He’s Gina’s son,” David said.

Emma eyed him curiously. “Henry?”

Henry nodded. “Yeah.” He knelt in front of Emma, taking her in. In many ways she looked the same, only smaller. He recognized her eyes from the baby pictures his mom had of him. “It’s…it’s nice to meet you, Emma.”

She nodded and turned back to her toys, holding up Captain America. “I’m Diana, Mama is Natasha. You can be Steve.”

 

Henry was hesitant, but gently took the action figure from her arms. Emma created a world where they had to save her Finding Dory plush from Mr. Potato head. Henry was surprised at how creative she was and how much energy she had. He didn’t miss his mom saying that she acted just like he did at that age, same at how even Snow had been shortly after they met. Emma had lots of fun with her new friend, not even questioning the looks he was giving her every so often.

 

Eventually, Henry needed a break. He headed up to Emma’s bedroom, which they had once shared. It had obviously undergone a lot of changes. There was only a toddler bed, a few soft and quiet toys surrounding it. On the wall, though, there were pictures of the whole family, Henry included.

 

“A bit much, huh?”

Henry turned around to find Snow standing there. “A little bit. I mean…Regina’s my mom but…”

“Emma was your mom too, biologically, she still is.” She walked over to him. “You know, Ruby, David and I have talked about it. We know one day we’ll have to tell Emma about the other life she lead.”

“I didn’t know you were going to.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to erase history. She gave up a lot to save all of us.”

Henry nodded. “That’s true.”

“But we’ll leave it up to you if you want her to know about you two, her being your mom.”

Henry bit his lip. “I think that’d be weird. I mean…I’ll be way older than her. I think I’d rather us build our own bond. I guess I’m sort of like her uncle now.”

Snow smiled. “You are.” She took his hand. “We’ll always be family, you know that don’t you?”

“I do, I really do. I mean, it’s weird. It’ll probably always be weird. But…it is what it is, right?”

 

Snow didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded. The whole situation was taking all of them time to adjust to, but they would find their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep the prompts for this story coming in! I will get to them. =)


	6. We're In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was submitted to me by loboselinaistrash from a drabble post I reblogged: “I’ll just tell your mom on you.” This ended up tying into an idea I’ve had for a while, showing how Red Snowing came out to their families as a throuple. Reminder, in this verse, Zelena was the one who cast the curse. Regina and Snow had a close relationship before it was set.

George’s words echoed through David’s mind as he headed towards his family’s farm.

 

_“I’ll just tell your mother. How do you think she would react? Her only son, involved with two women.”_

He never paid George any mind, but he had repeated a deep fear of his. It was one the three of them all had. No matter what, they would always have each other. Even so, the support of those closest to them was going to mean the world. They had kept it a secret for as long as they could, but knew with George’s threat looming over them, it wasn’t going to stay that way for very long.

 

Ruth came out of the cottage, holding some laundry to hang to dry. She nearly dropped it upon seeing her son. “Honey, what are you doing here? I thought George said…”

“I helped the woman I was betrothed to find her true love. With some help, I was able to get out of there.”

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. He tightened the hug, he had missed her so much. “So, you can finally come home?”

“I’ve actually moved in with someone.”

Ruth raised an eyebrow as she pulled away from him. “You mean…” A smile spread across her face. “You’ve found someone you wish to marry?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that…”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m engaged to two women.”

 

Ruth studied her son curiously. She had heard of bigamists before, but never thought her son would be one. He believed in true love, he had turned down every opportunity to get married in the past.

 

“I don’t…I don’t understand. I never took you to be a bigamist.”

“I’m not.  I love both Snow and Red, they love each other as well and they love me. It’s not the way you think, it’s all equal.”

A small smile began working on her face once again. “So, you have found love then?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Well, if you’re happy, then so am I.”

“Really?”

“I’ve waited so long for you to find the person you wished to spend the rest of your life with. I never expected two daughter-in-laws, but I can’t wait to meet them.”

David grinned. “We’ll be coming by in a few days, they’re excited to meet you too.”

War with George was rougher on them than they had expected. Thankfully, Regina realized that Zelena had poisoned her against Snow and had invited her step-daughter to move back into the castle. She believed that David was her fiancé, but that Red was just a friend. With their relationship just being mended, Snow knew that she had to be careful with her. She was unsure of how she would take their marriage. Until they knew for sure that they could defeat George, their relationship had to continue to be a secret.

 

After nightfall, the three retreated to the castle. They had a game plan for the next day and it was the dwarfs’ turn to be on guard. They had a few hours before it would be their shift and planned to get as much rest as possible.

 

“Come through to our room,” Snow whispered into Red’s ear. “Regina’s already gone to bed. There’s no way she’ll catch us.”

“I hate having to sneak around,” David mumbled.

“I know, but the castle is the safest place for us during this battle.”

Red nodded. “As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Snow.” She wrapped an arm around David’s waist. “Come on, let’s just get to bed.”

 

Together, they headed up to Snow and David’s chambers. They climbed under the covers once they had changed, Red curled up in between them as always. She rolled over, starting to kiss Snow’s neck, which caused her to let out a soft moan.

 

“We’ve all been working hard lately, I think we deserve a break,” Red mumbled in between kisses.

David smirked. “Now that is an idea I could get behind.”

 

He shifted his place so he was on the other side of Snow. He slowly began to make a pathway down to Snow’s body. Red stayed where she was, running her fingers through Snow’s hair as she kissed her neck. David managed to keep a grip around Red while he undressed. Snow leaned forward, the three of them becoming one. Sleeping would’ve been a better choice and they were going to be exhausted later, but it would be worth it. They hadn’t been able to “relax” like that ever since George declared war with them. Before Snow knew it, her moans were growing louder and louder.

 

The noises between the three of them were becoming so high, they didn’t hear Regina’s footsteps coming down the hall or the door opening. It wasn’t until they heard a gasp from the doorway that they all turned to look, finding the queen standing there in her robe.

 

“Regina,” Snow breathed. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I heard you screaming, I thought George had invaded the castle…” She shielded her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at David’s bare ass anymore. “I’m just…I’m just gonna go.”

 

She shut the door behind her and her footsteps could be heard descending back to her own chambers. Red fell against Snow, her long locks falling across her chest.

  
“So…I guess the secret’s out,” Red mumbled. “She seemed to take it well.”

“For now,” Snow added, her face filling with worry. “What if when she calms down from the shock, she kicks us out?”

David stroked her chin. “We can figure something out. I know it’s not ideal, but we have my mother’s farm.”

“Or we can even go stay with Granny or build a camp,” Red added. “It may not be what you’re used to…”

“I used to live in the woods,” Snow interrupted. “I don’t care where I am, so long as I have the two of you.”

 

As the battle raged on, the three of them were so busy, that they barely saw Regina outside when she would aide them. It wasn’t until they had defeated George that they finally got the answer they had been cautiously waiting for. It came one morning over breakfast. Regina was at the head of the table, slowly buttering a roll. Red sat across from Snow and David, the three of them having the same silent eye conversation that they did every day, wondering if that morning would be _the one_.

 

“If either of you hurt her, I’ll rip out your hearts and crush them,” Regina said, not taking her eyes off her roll.

Red looked over at Regina. “What?”

“You heard me. Hurt her, you die.”

 

Snow bit her lip to hold back a smile, David and Red doing the same. They supposed that was Regina’s way of saying that she was okay with it.

Regina’s way of saying that she was okay with it.

* * *

 

The three of them sat across from Granny one week later. She looked from each of them, very carefully.

 

“You know she’s a wolf?” She asked David.

David slowly nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“And you, you’re royal,” Granny switched her interrogation over to Snow. “You’re really okay with being married to someone who isn’t?”

“David isn’t either,” Snow pointed out. “Not really, anyway. He was raised to be a shepherd. Status doesn’t matter to me, I love them both more than anything.”

“How do you know this is true love?”

“We’ve each shared true love’s kiss with each other. This is real, Granny, we know it is.”

 

Granny continued to stare at them, blinking a bit. She had always had a feeling that her granddaughter was at least bisexual. She and Snow had been super close when they first met, more than friends would. The way she saw Red and David interact scared her, she was worried that her heart would get broken. It was clear that he was going to marry Snow one day. Now, she supposed it all made sense.

 

“I suppose…if the three of you are happy…that’s all that matters.”

“Really?” Red asked.

“Really,” Granny confirmed.

“That’s good. Because…there’s more.”

“Oh no, is there another person you all love.”

Red chuckled. “Not quite, it’s just…you’re going to be a great-grandmother. Snow just found out…she’s pregnant.”

 

Granny’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped in shock as she looked over at her daughter-in-law. She hopped up and threw her arms around Snow, tightly. She giggled and hugged her tighter.

 

“This is truly amazing news,” she said. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Granny.”

 

When David and Red weren’t looking, Snow whispered something into the older woman’s ear. That night, when the three headed back to the castle, Granny started on a new knitting project.

 

A baby blanket for her great-granddaughter, Emma.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, if you have prompts for this verse, please let me know!


	7. Family Crest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JustMeAndMyKeyboard requested a one shot of one of Emma’s parents discovering her first tattoo. Takes place when she’s 16.

Emma thought it would be simple enough to hide. She wasn’t really a jewelry person, but she could wear bangles to hide it.

 

And then she was told she needed to let it breathe for a few days.

 

There was no doubting she was screwed.

 

Doing her best to keep it covered, she avoided her parents as much as possible. Luckily, they seemed to be busy with work and her younger siblings, so she was almost able to get away with it.

 

Almost.

 

One day, Emma was down in the kitchen making some hot chocolate. David walked in and nodded a good morning, heading over to the coffee pot. Then he tilted his head as Emma reached for the cinnamon. She noticed him staring and made a face.

 

“What?”

“Do you…do you have something on your wrist?” He stepped forward and took it into his hand, his eyes widening. “Emma Ruth Charming, you better tell me that it’s fake.”

Emma bit her lip. “Would you believe me if I said it was?”

“How did you even get this? Where did you get it? Was it safe?” He saw Emma roll her eyes, which only made him even more upset. “Do not roll your eyes at me young lady, illegal tattoos can be dangerous.”

“Good thing it wasn’t illegal then.” She removed her wrist from his grip. “My friend’s cousin is a tattoo artist, I watched him sterilize the needles and everything. It was completely safe.”

“Emma, this isn’t okay, it could be infected…”

“It’s not, I promise.”

 

David looked back at the tattoo again, trying to figure out just why it looked so familiar. Snow and Ruby entered the kitchen, seeing what he was staring at. As they began to fuss over her, Emma only further rolled her eyes, assuring them what she had her father. Ruby took her daughter’s wrist into her hands and studied it further.

 

“Is that the crest?” She asked.

Snow smiled softly. “It’s the flowers from it.”

David took a closer look. “Oh, you’re right.” He titled his head, looking at Emma. “Did you know that?”

Emma shrugged. “I guess…I don’t know. I was born in the Enchanted Forest, but we never lived there. I knew I wanted to get a tattoo and figured this would be something meaningful. If I was a knight in the kingdom, I’d wear it on my armor.”

 

Ruby, David and Snow couldn’t help but smile at one another. Emma said occasionally that she was glad she hadn’t grown up in Misthaven, she wasn’t sure she would’ve wanted to be a proper princess. Then they told her about how Ruby had been a knight and she said that she would’ve probably been one too. It was important for them to keep up the heritage from their homeland, even in Storybrooke. They celebrated holidays and kept up different traditions from their respective families of origin.

 

They weren’t entirely thrilled with the tattoo, but they did love the meaning behind it. It clearly meant a lot to Emma and it was making it harder to be upset with her.

 

“So…” Emma looked from one parent to the next. “Am I in trouble?”

Snow sighed. “No, not this time. But Emma? Please save any other tattoos until you’re 18 and can get them in a proper parlor.”

“Deal.”

“Also, you better be following any instructions that came with that to a T.”

“Chill, I am.”

 

Grabbing her hot chocolate, she headed out of the room. David glanced over at a copy of the crest that they had found in Rumple’s shop a long time ago, a smile spreading across his face. They couldn’t return to Misthaven, but they could bring Misthaven to Storybrooke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, Tumblr or Twitter. I have two Tumblr accounts: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction. My Twitter is: justanoutlawfic.


End file.
